AI SpaceFactory (New York, USA) recently announced it was the winner of the NASA 3D Printed Habitat Challenge because it built MARSHA, a 3D printed basalt fiber composite structure for Martian habitation.
This 15-foot-tall prototype was 3D printed in the final stages of the race, made of biopolymer basalt fiber composites, biodegradable, recyclable and derived from natural materials on the surface of Mars. The material passed NASA's pressure, smoke, and impact tests and was found to be more durable than the concrete used in the other 60 competitors in the challenge. In a highly automated process, the habitat was printed in 30 hours, and three windows in the structure were also placed by robots. AI SpaceFactory was awarded a $ 500,000 prize for this competition by NASA.
AI SpaceFactory has spent two years developing these building technologies for Mars and plans to recycle materials from MARSHA to 3D printed TERA, a space technology ecological habitat used on Earth, purportedly the first of its kind.
"We developed these technologies for space, but they have the potential to change the way we build on Earth," said David Malott, CEO and founder of AI SpaceFactory. "By using natural biodegradable materials grown from crops, we can Avoid a huge waste of non-recyclable concrete by the construction industry and protect our planet. "
TERA is expected to launch on Indiegogo this month, and it can be used by anyone who wants to experience a sustainable life on Mars. The company said that its purpose was to highlight the need for new renewable building technologies on the planet while studying what it takes to achieve life on the new planet.